Search - Her Space Holiday :: Manic Expressive

Wow....wow.

Nowhereman | Boston, MA USA | 12/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This has really moved out of the realms of slow-core and into uncharted waters of achingly beautiful experimental pop. At times it recalls the slowest and most introspective moments of an Eels disc., or perhaps if you gave the To Rococo Rot & I-Sound collaborations a vocalist and forced them into a pop-song structure, they might make music like this.It's a remarkably cohesive album, and all of the experimental elements mesh into the song structures rather than standing out in opposition. The digital drumlines are glitchy in a good way, with skitterish snares on "the ringing in my ears" (my favorite track), or the sound of button presses and rewinding tape serving as the rhythm section of another track. While the string lines and the bass carry most of the melody, the organ adds a bit of a warm, fuzzy feel to even the most digital of songs. A mixture of his vocals, his girlfriend vocals, and some recorded dialogue keep the vocals fresh, although they really seem to serve as another insturment rather than the "focus" of the songs.The presence of 'intro' and 'outro' songs suggest that this album is meant to be digested as a whole, and I definetly agree. If I had to pick standout tracks, however, i'd suggest 'the ringing in my ears' 'polar opposite' and 'hassle free harmony'. It's probably not coincidence that these are the most "traditional" songs on the disc, but they make the strongest impression for me."

Muted Pastels

WrtnWrd | Northridge, CA USA | 01/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are a lot of melancholy boys with access to computer technology writing depressive near ambient symphonies to their own isolation. Marc Bianchi, recording as Her Space Holiday, is one of the good ones. On his second release, Manic Expressive, he stops navel-gazing long enough to mix it up in the real world. Of course, he does it quietly - his electronic palette is full of muted pastels, whispers - he's coming to your dinner party, not the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. But he's absorbed and processed a number of wide-ranging influences in his bedsit: Philip Glass, Can, Vivaldi, Belle and Sebastian, Kraftwerk, Bach. To my taste, more interesting as ambient than Aphex Twin or any number of faceless trance remixers."

Original hybrid

J. Persh | West Bloomfield, MI United States | 11/07/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This record represents a collision of a hybrid of blips and beeps with a melancholic vocal angle. You don't expect to hear the two in unison sounding so fresh and relevant. The dichotomy is that you would expect this music to come off as cold and distant instead of warm and inviting. Naysayers whom claim electronic music has no soul should take notice, because this record has it."